---
title: Deploying LobeChat Database with Docker
description: >-
  Learn how to deploy the LobeChat server database version using Docker on Linux and local machines.

tags:
  - LobeChat
  - Docker
  - Database Deployment
  - Postgres
---

# Deploying Server Database Version Using Docker

<div style={{display:"flex", gap: 4}}>
  [![][docker-release-shield]][docker-release-link]

  [![][docker-size-shield]][docker-size-link]

  [![][docker-pulls-shield]][docker-pulls-link]
</div>

<Callout type="info">
  This article assumes that you are familiar with the basic principles and processes of deploying
  the LobeChat server database version, so it only includes content related to core environment
  variable configuration. If you are not familiar with the deployment principles of the LobeChat
  server database version, please refer to [Deploying Server
  Database](/docs/self-hosting/server-database) first.
</Callout>

<Callout type="warning">
  Due to the inability to expose `NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY` using Docker environment variables, you cannot use Clerk as an authentication service when deploying LobeChat using Docker / Docker Compose.

  If you do need Clerk as an authentication service, you might consider deploying using Vercel or building your own image.
</Callout>

## Deploying on a Linux Server

Here is the process for deploying the LobeChat server database version on a Linux server:

<Steps>
  ### Create a Postgres Database Instance

  Please create a Postgres database instance with the PGVector plugin according to your needs, for example:

  ```sh
  docker network create pg

  docker run --name my-postgres --network pg -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=mysecretpassword -p 5432:5432 -d pgvector/pgvector:pg16
  ```

  The above command will create a PG instance named `my-postgres` on the network `pg`, where `pgvector/pgvector:pg16` is a Postgres 16 image with the pgvector plugin installed by default.

  <Callout type="info">
    The pgvector plugin provides vector search capabilities for Postgres, which is an important
    component for LobeChat to implement RAG.
  </Callout>

  <Callout type="warning">
    The above command does not specify a persistent storage location for the pg instance, so it is
    only for testing/demonstration purposes. Please configure persistent storage for production
    environments.
  </Callout>

  ### Create a file named `lobe-chat.env` to store environment variables:

  ```shell
  # Website domain
  APP_URL=https://your-prod-domain.com

  # DB required environment variables
  KEY_VAULTS_SECRET=jgwsK28dspyVQoIf8/M3IIHl1h6LYYceSYNXeLpy6uk=
  # Postgres database connection string
  # Format: postgres://username:password@host:port/dbname; if your pg instance is a Docker container, use the container name
  DATABASE_URL=postgres://postgres:mysecretpassword@my-postgres:5432/postgres

  # NEXT_AUTH related, can use auth0, Azure AD, GitHub, Authentik, zitadel, etc. If you have other access requirements, feel free to submit a PR
  NEXT_AUTH_SECRET=3904039cd41ea1bdf6c93db0db96e250
  NEXT_AUTH_SSO_PROVIDERS=auth0
  NEXTAUTH_URL=https://your-prod-domain.com/api/auth
  AUTH_AUTH0_ID=xxxxxx
  AUTH_AUTH0_SECRET=cSX_xxxxx
  AUTH_AUTH0_ISSUER=https://lobe-chat-demo.us.auth0.com

  # S3 related
  S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID=xxxxxxxxxx
  S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=xxxxxxxxxx
  S3_ENDPOINT=https://xxxxxxxxxx.r2.cloudflarestorage.com
  S3_BUCKET=lobechat
  S3_PUBLIC_DOMAIN=https://s3-for-lobechat.your-domain.com

  # Other environment variables, as needed. You can refer to the environment variables configuration for the client version, making sure not to have ACCESS_CODE.
  # OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-xxxx
  # OPENAI_PROXY_URL=https://api.openai.com/v1
  # OPENAI_MODEL_LIST=...
  ```

  ### Start the lobe-chat-database Docker image

  ```sh
  docker run -it -d -p 3210:3210 --network pg --env-file lobe-chat.env --name lobe-chat-database lobehub/lobe-chat-database
  ```

  You can use the following command to check the logs:

  ```sh
  docker logs -f lobe-chat-database
  ```

  If you see the following logs in the container, it means it has started successfully:

  ```log
  [Database] Start to migration...
  ✅ database migration pass.
  -------------------------------------
    ▲ Next.js 14.x.x
    - Local:        http://localhost:3210
    - Network:      http://0.0.0.0:3210

   ✓ Starting...
   ✓ Ready in 95ms
  ```
</Steps>

<Callout type="tip">
  In our official Docker image, the database schema migration is automatically executed before
  starting the image. We ensure stability from an empty database to all tables being formally
  available. Therefore, we recommend using an empty table instance for your database to avoid the
  cost of manually maintaining table structure migration.
</Callout>

## Using Locally (Mac / Windows)

The data version of LobeChat also supports direct use on a local Mac/Windows machine.

Here, we assume that you have a pg instance available on port 5432 locally on your Mac/Windows, with the account `postgres` and password `mysecretpassword`, accessible at `localhost:5432`.

The script command you need to execute is:

```shell
$ docker run -it -d --name lobe-chat-database -p 3210:3210 \
  -e DATABASE_URL=postgres://postgres:mysecretpassword@host.docker.internal:5432/postgres \
  -e KEY_VAULTS_SECRET=jgwsK28dspyVQoIf8/M3IIHl1h6LYYceSYNXeLpy6uk= \
  -e NEXT_AUTH_SECRET=3904039cd41ea1bdf6c93db0db96e250 \
  -e NEXT_AUTH_SSO_PROVIDERS=auth0 \
  -e AUTH_AUTH0_ID=xxxxxx \
  -e AUTH_AUTH0_SECRET=cSX_xxxxx \
  -e AUTH_AUTH0_ISSUER=https://lobe-chat-demo.us.auth0.com \
  -e APP_URL=http://localhost:3210 \
  -e NEXTAUTH_URL=http://localhost:3210/api/auth \
  -e S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID=xxxxxxxxxx \
  -e S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=xxxxxxxxxx \
  -e S3_ENDPOINT=https://xxxxxxxxxx.r2.cloudflarestorage.com \
  -e S3_BUCKET=lobechat \
  -e S3_PUBLIC_DOMAIN=https://s3-for-lobechat.your-domain.com \
  lobehub/lobe-chat-database
```

<Callout type="tip">
  `Docker` uses a virtual machine solution on `Windows` and `macOS`. If you use `localhost` /
  `127.0.0.1`, it will refer to the container's `localhost`. In this case, try using
  `host.docker.internal` instead of `localhost`.
</Callout>

[docker-pulls-link]: https://hub.docker.com/r/lobehub/lobe-chat-database
[docker-pulls-shield]: https://img.shields.io/docker/pulls/lobehub/lobe-chat-database?color=45cc11&labelColor=black&style=flat-square
[docker-release-link]: https://hub.docker.com/r/lobehub/lobe-chat-database
[docker-release-shield]: https://img.shields.io/docker/v/lobehub/lobe-chat-database?color=369eff&label=docker&labelColor=black&logo=docker&logoColor=white&style=flat-square&sort=semver
[docker-size-link]: https://hub.docker.com/r/lobehub/lobe-chat-database
[docker-size-shield]: https://img.shields.io/docker/image-size/lobehub/lobe-chat-database?color=369eff&labelColor=black&style=flat-square&sort=semver
